FEBRUARY 9
Carragher: Let's follow Gerrard's lead
TEAMtalk
Jamie Carragher has vowed to match the work ethic and
skill level of Steven Gerrard and called on his
colleagues at Anfield to do the same.
Skipper Gerrard scored the equaliser against Bolton in
an outstanding display during Saturday's 2-2 draw - and
he also made the first goal for Sami Hyypia.
Liverpool had been quiet in the first half but under
Gerrard's leadership hauled themselves back into the
game in the second period.
Carragher said: "The captain sets the standards for the
club, on and off the pitch and I think Stevie is
certainly doing that.
"His performances have shown he's relishing the
captain's role and its up to the rest of us to match
that level. If we were doing that we would be a lot
higher up the table than we are.
"The way Stevie plays he always pops up all over the
park. He's got a lot of energy and since Didi [Hamman]
has come back into the team he's enjoyed getting forward
a lot more.
"He can cover every blade of grass and one of his
strengths is he has the energy to do that.
"He was excellent again at Bolton, especially in the
second half.
"That's the kind of performance you look for from your
captain, driving the team forward from central
midfield."
FEBRUARY 7
Houllier puts
faith in key duo
Sky Sports
Gerard Houllier hailed his captain Steven Gerrard
after the midfielder's influential display in the 2-2
draw at Bolton Wanderers.
Gerrard scored one and created another at The Reebok
Stadium to leave his manager purring with delight at his
skipper's performance.
Houllier also lent his support to Michael Owen, after
the striker spurned a glorious chance to hand The Reds
all three points late on.
Owen has not scored since October, although injuries
have restricted him to just nine appearances in the
ensuing period.
Reds boss Houllier is confident Owen only needs one goal
to reignite his season and retains the utmost faith in
his attacking talisman.
"You are always relying on your star players," said
Houllier.
"Steven is a great captain - he leads by example. He
looked a bit down at half time but he responded right
away.
"It would have been great if he (Owen) had been able to
score the winner here but he was stretching.
"He is there now with his fitness. But he needs a goal,
and the goal will come.
"I have total faith in him, and he works very hard for
the team as well."
Houllier admitted his day was tinged with frustration at
his team's inability to take their opportunities and
return to Merseyside with all three points.
He added: "When you look at the number of chances we
created here we should have scored more goals.
"Instead, we found ourselves 1-0 down. But credit to the
players, they responded well in the second half, and we
equalised.
"Then they scored a second goal, which should not have
been. The throw was our throw. I don't know how the
linesman missed that one.
"Fortunately we drew level. This is a difficult place to
come. They are a good side with a lot of character.
"I am happy with the performance but disappointed with
the result."
FEBRUARY 7
Allardyce proud of players
Sky Sports
Sam Allardyce was bursting with pride after his
Bolton Wanderers team claimed a merited 2-2 draw with
Liverpool.
The Trotters manager was delighted his players had
matched their more illustrious opponents in every
department.
The point keeps Bolton in the top half of the table and
only four points off a UEFA Champions League berth.
Allardyce was in buoyant mood after the stalemate and
admits his players proved their worth against Liverpool.
"We've come out with a very valuable point against a
team like Liverpool which has its best players back," he
said.
"Our players deserve every bit of credit they get for
matching a team of that quality.
"They have done this club proud, and there was some
top-quality entertainment for the fans.
"We have matched Liverpool for fitness; we have matched
them for technique; we have matched them for
determination and we have matched them for quality in
front of goal."
FEBRUARY 7
Gerrard rescues
point for Reds
Sky Sports
Liverpool dropped more points in their pursuit of a
Champions League place after they were held to a 2-2
draw by Bolton in an entertaining clash at the Reebok
Stadium.
Steven Gerrard rescued a point for Gerard Houllier's men
with a second half goal after Youri Djorkaeff's goal had
looked like securing Bolton's fourth Premiership win on
the trot.
Owen missed a glorious chance to give Liverpool the lead
after just three minutes when he got on the end of
Gerrard's inviting free kick, but he could only flick
his header straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen
Bolton broke the deadlock on 11 minutes with their first
noteworthy attack of the game when the ball broke loose
to Hunt on the edge of the box and he fired his
left-footed shot past a crowd of players into the bottom
corner for his first senior goal.
A minute later Hunt came to Bolton's rescue when he
brilliantly blocked Kewell's goalbound shot and when the
ball came back to Jamie Carragher the defender saw his
shot screw just wide of the target.
Henrik Pedersen really should have doubled the home
side's lead on 18 minutes when he found himself unmarked
in the box from Hunt's fine through ball, but the Danish
striker blazed his shot over the crossbar.
Hunt was getting forward as often as he could from right
back and he almost grabbed a second goal on 26 minutes
when he swapped passes with Per Frandsen, but Dudek was
on hand to keep out his shot.
Liverpool should have levelled matters two minutes later
when Gerrard superbly sent Kewell scampering clear on
goal, but with only Jaaskelainen to beat he delayed his
shot allowing the Finn to block the ball for a corner.
Carragher had Jaaskelainen scrambling across his goal on
36 minutes with a powerful shot from the edge of the
area, but unluckily for the Liverpool defender his drive
fizzed just inches wide of the post.
Liverpool pushed forward in the dying moments of the
first half and Gerrard poked a shot straight at
Jaaskelainen before Anthony Le Tallec volleyed into the
ground and over the crossbar when well placed.
The visitors came out in determined fashion in the
second half and drew level on 51 minutes when Hyypia
rose highest to power home Gerrard's free kick into the
net for his second goal of the season both ironically
against Bolton.
Parity was short-lived for Liverpool as Bolton restored
their lead eight minutes later with Kevin Davies
crossing Nolan's long ball back across the face of goal
for Djorkaeff to fire home from six yards.
Liverpool fought-back for a second time with substitute
Le Tallec picked out Gerrard inside the box with a fine
pass and the Liverpool captain superbly volleyed his
shot across Jaaskelainen and into the net.
The visitors came close to taking the lead for the first
time seven minutes from time when Gerrard ran through
onto Kewell's clever pass and crossed for Owen to poke
home into an unguarded net, but Bolton got enough
numbers back to deflect the striker's goalbound shot.
Bruno N'Gotty had a great chance to win the game in the
final minute when he rose to meet Djorkaeff's free kick
unmarked, but the Frenchman got his header all wrong
nodding it wide of the target.
Davies almost won it for the home side when he raced
clear and fired a shot which Dudek was at full stretch
to tip over.
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